An online journal by Angie Lomas.

Pray for Amy

Jonny and I (Angie) interned together at Westside Family Church in the summer of 2006, and the staff was crazy enough to ask both of us to come back the next summer in 2007. In those years, I can honestly say it was the most fulfilling, rewarding, and most growing period of my life in so many ways, including spiritually. That first year we had staff Bible studies and I learned what it meant to be a Christ-follower in a whole new way. It wasnt about rules and rituals, it was about a crazy, radical, relentless love of our Savior…and that relationship may not always be easy or fun or painless…but that relationship was the single most important thing in my life. What I learned about Jonny in that time is that he is one of the goofiest, most challenging, most talented, most compassionate, most solid guys I’ve met. He has a heart bigger than this earth. The way he mentored those students and the passion that drove him to seek change was really inspiring. Fast forward a few years. Jonny and Amy meet, fall in love, and get married in January of 2010. I dont know Amy, but if her heart matched Jonny’s heart, then God is going to do some giant incredible things with them. Fastforward to this past week. On Sunday, May 23, Amy Wooddell suffered a stroke and underwent 7.5 hours of surgery to remove the clotting in her basil artery. Additionally they found that her right vertebral artery was torn and was repaired with a stint. She awoke responsive and could even whisper her own name. However, a few hours later her brain began to bleed resulting an emergency procedure to relieve inner cranial pressure. On Monday, May 24 she was comatose with brain function of only 3 (normal is 15) and it was uncertain that she would survive. But she did. On Tuesday, May 25, Amy was considered in stable condition and brain activity began to increase (between 5-7) but was still and out of consciousness. Inner-cranial pressure had dropped from high 20s on Sunday night down to 1 on Tuesday night. She is responding through blinking (made direct eye contact with Jonny (her husband) on Tuesday night and on Wednesday morning blinked 5 times in response to “Amy, blink a bunch of times if you want Jonny to buy you lots of diamonds” and 3 times for “I love you”). And she now breathing on her own 8 out of 18 breaths a minute. But she’s been unable to move her limbs. A recent MRA is showing some blood in near her brain stem which is hindering motor skill movement. Amy is only 24 years old and has been married to Jonny for 4 months. She is also an accomplished dancer. While we are seeing God’s healing touch on Amy, we know she has a long ways to go and any permanent damage is still unknown. We are asking for your prayers for Amy’s complete healing. I’m asking that as well as praying for Amy’s complete recovery, that you also lift up Jonny to the throne. He’s had a lot thrown at him in the last few years. And I can’t imagine what it’s got to feel like sitting next to your spouse in the ICU. I just can’t fathom it. I’m sure the enemy wants to use this in every way he can, but please pray with me that Satan will have no foot in that hospital, in the lives of their friends and family, or in Jonny and Amy’s minds and hearts right now as they are daily fighting for healing. Pray that Jonny will hold firm to the truth that God is his portion…that He is the ultimate physician, prince of peace, wonderful counselor…a miracle worker. Thanks for your prayers. More information can be found at here or by follow Jonny’s updates on twitter.